A Very Merry Life Day
by patientalien
Summary: The first Life Day Ahsoka spends with her new Master. It goes about as well as expected.


**Title ** A Very Merry Life Day

**Author **patientalien

**Rating **PG-13

**Summary **The first Life Day Ahsoka spends with her new Master. It goes about as well as expected

**Notes **Based, as usual, on conversations with citizenjess, who also provided assistance.

* * *

><p>When Ahsoka Tano palmed open the door to her Master's quarters late on Life Day morning, she was greeted by the smell of burning... something and the sounds of her Master and Master Obi-Wan arguing. "I <em>asked <em>you to keep an eye on the timer, Anakin!" Obi-Wan was saying. "I realize even the simplest of tasks is beyond your abilities, but I would think in the spirit of the season, you would have made at least a minor effort."

"It's hardly_ my _fault, _Master,_" Anakin responded as Ahsoka showed herself in. "You're the one who distracted me." He glanced over, suddenly noticing his apprentice. "Hey, Snips."

"Uh, happy Life Day?" she said, proffering a pair of small, brightly-wrapped gifts. Jedi as a rule did not celebrate holidays in the same manner as the rest of the galaxy. As Life Day was recognized nearly galaxy-wide, though, the Jedi made something of an exception. Most of the Order chose to spend the holiday doing works of charity. However, Anakin and Obi-Wan were always a little different; Anakin having spent his formative years in an environment that encouraged celebration whenever possible. Obi-Wan had allowed traditions to form, small gifts to be exchanged. Ahsoka hadn't known quite what to expect, honestly.

"Is the oven still on?" Ahsoka asked, walking back to the small kitchen area. She had assumed that, even while arguing about leaving something too long in the oven, they would have thought to turn it off.

Apparently not. She slung her robe over one of the chairs and turned the oven off, looking up as Anakin stormed in.

"Bring the brandy back out here, Anakin," Obi-Wan called. Anakin glowered and picked up the aforementioned brandy bottle, raising it to his lips and swallowing down the contents.

"Uh..." Ahsoka offered as Anakin coughed. "Why?"

"Because it pisses him off," Anakin explained, voice rough, as if that made perfect sense. Except, as far as Ahsoka could tell, it didn't. "There isn't any left, Master!" Anakin called back to the living room. "You musta drank it all!" He burped, loudly. Ahsoka sighed as Obi-Wan appeared in the kitchen doorway.

"Please, Anakin, a little decorum, if you would," Obi-Wan scolded, rummaging through the cabinets before emerging with another brown bottle, a look of victory in his eyes. Ahsoka raised a white-marked brow.

"It's... before noon," she pointed out as Obi-Wan poured himself a glass, slapping Anakin's hand away from the bottle.

"It's a holiday!" Anakin replied brightly. "It's tradition!"

Ahsoka wasn't sure she quite believed that one, but Obi-Wan seemed happy enough to agree with her Master, so she merely shrugged. "So, uh, what were you trying to make?" She had a feeling it was going to be her task to rectify whatever they'd screwed up, food-wise.

"_Anakin_ was supposed to be making stuffed nerf," Obi-Wan informed her. "But he neglected to get the stuffing _or _the nerf."

Ahsoka opened and closed her mouth several times as she processed that. "So... what's in the oven?" She was almost afraid of the answer.

Anakin burped again. "I found some kinda meat in the freezer. I guess it, uh, it was Obi-Wan's fault."

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes and sipped his drink. "Yes, Anakin, it was entirely my fault. And now we have nothing to eat for Life Day dinner."

Ahsoka began edging towards the door. "Uh, I could run out and get some food," she offered, hoping to keep the peace as much as possible.

Anakin grinned at her. "Yeah! Snips'll go!"

"Bring back some more brandy," Obi-Wan added in agreement.

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><p>The crowds at the store were incredible, and she had to fight an elderly Klatoonian for the last fresh nerf, but Ahsoka emerged victorious. When she returned to the apartment, she wasn't overly surprised to see several broken dishes on the floor of the living room. She was surprised to see her Master straddling Obi-Wan's lap, licking the side of his neck.<p>

She cleared her throat, loudly. "Ahem!"

Obi-Wan looked mildly uncomfortable, but Anakin was completely nonplussed, laughing as he slid off Obi-Wan's lap. "Took ya long enough," he informed her.

"So, do you want to help me make the nerf, or..." Anakin stumbled over to her, grabbing her bags, rifling through the contents until he found the liquor she'd procured. "Master, you've had enough for now."

"Yes, Anakin," Obi-Wan slurred from the sofa. "You've had enough. But I... I have not."

Ahsoka sighed for what felt like the millionth time and went into the kitchen to prepare the meal. By the time the tubers were peeled and the oven had re-heated, Anakin had reappeared in the kitchen, leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest. "So you havin' a good Life Day so far?" he asked, closing one eye in an attempt to get her into focus.

"I guess," Ahsoka replied, unsure if she was allowed to point out when Jedi senior to her were acting stupid. "I guess... well, when I was an Initiate, it was different. I guess I didn't expect you and Master Obi-Wan to just be... well... whatever it is you're doing."

Anakin let out a breath. "Look, Snips," he said in his _I'm going to lecture you now_ voice. "Everybody celebrates in their own way. Me an' Obi-Wan, we're just, y'know..."

"Getting drunk and acting like Younglings?" Ahsoka prompted, not entirely regretting it, either. She knew she should probably be more deferential to her new Master, but she couldn't help herself.

"Sure," Anakin replied agreeably - which meant he hadn't heard her, or he was too drunk to care she'd just called him a Youngling. Either was a fairly good option at this point. "Anyway, I'll letcha get back to..." He waved his hand vaguely towards the oven and sauntered back to the living room. Ahsoka scowled at his retreating back, but returned to her cooking nonetheless - she was getting hungry.

* * *

><p>"I hate that plant."<p>

"Hate is of the Dark Side, my Master. 'Sides, it's your fault i's dead. F'you'd just let me water it..."

"Peeing on something is not watering it, Anakin, as I've tol' you on sev-many occasions."

"Well, here, then."

Ahsoka risked poking her head out of the kitchen just in time to see Anakin unsteadily pick up the potted plant that normally resided by the door and bring it to the sliding door onto the balcony. It took him a few tries to get out the door, and only succeeded once Obi-Wan stumbled over and actually opened it. With a flourish and a bit of the Force, Anakin threw the plant over the balcony rail.

"Oh, Anakin," Obi-Wan sighed. "I liked that plant."

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><p>Ahsoka checked the timer once more. Just an hour to go, which was a blessing because she wasn't sure how much longer she wanted to listen to her Master and her Master's Master screaming at each other about Geonosis. She wasn't sure how the conversation had started, since she'd decided to stay safely in the kitchen until the meal was ready, but she assumed the liquor consumption she'd been witnessing hadn't let up, which probably had something to do with it.<p>

"Oh stop crying!" Obi-Wan exclaimed, which got Ahsoka's attention. She peeked out of the kitchen, frowning slightly at the sight of her Master standing - swaying - in the middle of the living room, face scrunched up as it trying to stop the tears from falling. "By all means, keep acting as if you're the only one who's ever lost something - it makes you very boring, Anakin."

"Says the guy who never shu's up 'bout Qui-Gon," Anakin replied shakily. "Talk 'bout _boring_, Mas'er."

Ahsoka ducked back into the kitchen just as Obi-Wan flung a boot at Anakin's head.

* * *

><p>The scuffle had lasted long enough for the nerf to finish cooking and the rolls to be browned. Finally, Ahsoka sighed in accomplishment as she finished preparing the plates. She was starving, and she was very eager to get some food into the two inebriated Jedi in the living room.<p>

Using the Force to balance all three plates, she made her way back into the living room, stopping short at the sight that greeted her. Obi-Wan lay sprawled on the floor, Anakin on top of him, his long limbs entwined in the older man's. "And... you're sleeping," Ahsoka muttered to herself. "Great."

Well, she wasn't going to let all of her hard work go to waste. She settled onto the sofa, pulling a blanket around herself, and turned on the holonet projector. "More food for me," she said, digging in. Maybe Life Day with her Master wasn't so bad after all.


End file.
